ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A wildfire burned northeast of Athens on Sunday, darkening the sky because the scent of smoke and soot pervaded the Greek capital.Greater than 400 firefighters, 110 fireplace engines and a lot of volunteers had been preventing the fireplace, which broke out round 3 p.m. native time round 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Athens. The 15 firefighting planes and 9 helicopters had been working through overdue afternoon however stopped at sundown.The flames had been shifting speedy towards Lake Marathon, a very powerful reservoir supplying Athens with water, stated Hearth Col. Vassileios Vathrakogiannis, a spokesman for the fireplace division. An unknown selection of homes had been broken.
A automobile burns in Varnava village right through a wildfire, north of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, with many areas of the rustic on top alert because of top temperatures and wind speeds. (AP Picture/Michael Varaklas)
A firefighter sprays water with a hose in Varnava village right through a wildfire, north of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, with many areas of the rustic on top alert because of top temperatures and wind speeds. (AP Picture/Michael Varaklas)
A area burns in Varnava village right through a wildfire, north of Athens, Greece, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, with many areas of the rustic on top alert because of top temperatures and wind speeds. (AP Picture/Michael Varaklas)
Vathrakogiannis stated winds reached gale pressure power within the house of the fireplace and flames exceeded 25 meters (80 toes) in top. Citizens of the villages close to the world of the fireplace had been warned through emergency textual content messaging to evacuate.
Overdue within the afternoon, messages had been additionally despatched to citizens of a few northern Athens suburbs to do the similar. Police stated they evacuated greater than 200 people, most commonly aged and others who didn’t heed the warnings.
Every other fireplace that broke out west of Athens has been contained, the spokesman stated.Sizzling and dry climate, made worse through robust winds, will increase the risk of wildfires. June and July had been the freshest months ever recorded in Greece, which additionally recorded its warmest wintry weather ever.Each meteorologists and govt officers have warned of the heightened risk of wildfires as a result of climate stipulations from Sunday till Thursday. Part of the rustic shall be below a “pink alert,” Local weather Disaster and Civil Coverage Minister Vassilis Kikilias stated.
